When slaves are equal
"No."
"-Wha-what do you mean no?! How are we supposed to survive without food?!" A desperate noble spouted; his stockpile of food running low.
The earth pony shrugged indifferently but secretly smiled inside, as the unicorns were finally suffering as they did.
The noble grew frustrated at the earth pony's insolence and threatened him, "You mud ponies understand we raise the sun every day?!" The noble warned, knowing that the peasant earth ponies would be none the wiser.
But the noble's expressions turned immediately into shock as the earth pony simply laughed loudly at his threat, grasping his barrel to hold in the laughter.
"You nobles have no control over the sun and moon!" The earth pony replied with a cackle, "The Solaris council raises them, and everypony knows they hate the nobility!" The earth pony finished, causing the unicorn to blink.
"How did he-" the unicorn tried to process, but the fact that a mud pony knew their realm's politics broke him.
The earth pony waved a hoof at the broken unicorn, trying to break him out of his stupor. "Uhh... You in there?" The earth pony asked futilely and eventually gave up, trotting back into his house and leaving the unicorn processing outside his door.
"Starswirl." An earth pony elder squinted, displaying coldness to their 'beloved' hero.
Starswirl had expected to avoid or hide away from villagers in fear of being mobbed by them for salvation or help but had encountered many of the same earth ponies giving him the cold shoulders.
The fillies were confused as to why their teacher wasn't being reverred and was being indirectly despised by the villagers, but Starswirl knew exactly why.
As every time Starswirl had 'saved' Equestria, it meant that he saved a noble's estate or holdings against a hostile creature or threat, but had done very little in helping the earth ponies, which he regarded as a lost cause.
The earth ponies, hearing of his heroism through the literate nobles had begged time and time again for him to improve their conditions and top the tyrannical unicorns and pegasuses, but had done nothing simply due to math; as the risk overweighed the reward severely.
Nopony could have foreseen what was happening now, as the earth ponies had defied impossible odds and had liberated themselves with no wings, no magic nor talent.
"What do YOU want?" A villager chimed in, staring cold daggers into Starswirl's own.
Starswirl ignored the earth pony's glare and focused on the elder, "I am seeking the location of your leader's whereabouts." Starswirl asked, but retracted slightly as he seemed to implicate bad intentions, "-to negotiate with, of course." Starswirl assured, relaxing the ponies. Except for the elder.
"...and what else?" The elder pressed, as everypony by now knew the location of the main Jacobin holdings, and knew Starswirl was trying to follow up his questions with a request.
Starswirl at the first hesitated but knew it would be inevitable anyway and spoke, "We require food for our journey, and the nobles didn't provide." Starswirl wanted to growl at the selfish nobles for not fitting him for the journey which they demanded.
The elder leaned closer, "Every unicorn and pegasi have come to us, asking for food. -and our answer was no." The elder reprimanded the hopeful wizard, "What makes you so different to the rest we denied?"
"-But I have saved Equestria countless times before!" Starswirl futilely argued, being cut by the elder's hooves.
"You have saved the unicorns and pegasuses, but never the earth ponies." The elder gritted his teeth, "Why should we help you to save the unicorn's fur?" The elder mocked, as their 'benevolent overlords' had never even raised their hooves to save their starving villagers before.
"I..." Starswirl uncharacteristically gazed backwards, unable to respond to the elder's accusations. The fillies looked with shock, as their 'perfect' teacher showed a semblance of vulnerability. "I understand..." Starswirl lowered his head in farewell and trotted back to the trail. The fillies meanwhile galloped alongside him.
"Will we have enough provisions for our journey?" The alabaster filly asked, slowing her pace as she began outpacing her teacher.
"Nay, we will have to forage to make up our shortages," Starswirl replied, keeping his head forward.
"Why wouldn't they give us food? Do they want us to starve?" The indigo filly asked, deeming the earth pony's rejection selfish.
"...I ask the same questions to our kind..." Starswirl solemnly muttered, lowering his hat to partially cover his eyes. "If only I could've helped..." Starswirl silently mumbled, regretting not helping the earth ponies earlier.
"Teacher?" The two fillies asked, worried about Starswirl's feelings of guilt.
"Students, never give up on somepony, no matter how hopeless it may be," Starswirl instructed, looking up in guilt. "For they may become your greatest friends..."
"The Solarist temples are a part of the problem! And are as bad, if not worse than unicorn nobles!" A representative boomed, being backed by several other elders near him.
"Nonsense! The Solarist temples are untainted, and must be preserved to teach younger unicorns to care for everypony!" Another representative countered, garnering nods from around him.
As the tension became higher, Green stomped hard to cease the commotion. "Mares and gentlestallions! Please! We are here for a civil discussion, not a riot!" Green scolded the older ponies, who withdrew in embarrassment.
The Jacobins were currently trying to figure out how their new nation would run, and their latest topic was regarding the Solarist church and their standing within the earth pony's nation.
"The churches are merely tools made by the unicorns to control us! Why else would they preach about peace and non-violence?!" The 'radicals' snarled, feeling betrayed by the church for preventing the earth ponies from rebelling earlier.
"Are you implying violence is not evil?! They preached us this message to not lose ourselves in rage!" The 'moderates' scolded, still wanting to keep the church, but allow earth ponies to become bishops, priests and religious leaders.
"The churches are no tool! Have you all already forgotten that they raise the sun in the unicorn's 'stead?" The 'reactionaries' reminded, still glad that they were free and prospering, but fearing fast change would bring repercussions from the unicorns and the church.
Green and Little personally wished for the church to remain, and also allow admissions of earth ponies into their structures, but feared expressing their views for angering the radicals for doing too little, or angering the reactionaries for doing too much. They groaned and began massaging their temples.
The debates were currently being held in their newly constructed 'senate,' with all the elders in their northeast holdings being summoned to make decisions on behalf of all earth ponies in Equestria. Due to this, the radicals held the clear majority, however, could be rebuffed by the moderates and reactionaries if they voted together. The radicals continued seething.
"Our revolution aimed to destroy the Solarist church! Our soldiers bled and died for this cause!" A radical roared, not wanting their soldier's death to be in vain.
"OUR revolution aimed to free us! And nothing more! The rest are our decisions to make!" A moderate chided, as every sensible pony knew they fought to ensure their freedom.
"Don't shove words onto our valiant soldiers! They do not deserve such treatment!" A reactionary chastised, stomping in his seat.
"Says the horn-lovers!" A radical sneered, causing the reactionaries to roar in uprage.
"ORDER! ORDER!" Green demanded, stomping the ground loudly to silence the representatives once more.
"We will not tear ourselves apart! So we will move on with a vote!" Green announced, "Raise your hooves if you want the church destroyed!"
The radicals who were situated on the left all raised their hooves, causing the reactionaries on the right to growl.
"Raise your hooves if you want the church reformed!" Green announced,
The moderates in the middle immediately raised their hooves in agreement whilst the reactionaries grumbled, albeit less angrily. Then the moderates began nudging the reactionaries, implying that if they didn't vote for them, the radicals would win. The reactionaries raised their hooves with a groan.
"Alright everypony! It's decided! The church will be reformed!" Green happily announced, ignoring the grumbling reactionaries and radicals. "Now, to our next issue! What's on everypony's mind now?"
"Perhaps we should start by removing trading restrictions within our nation." A moderate sarcastically suggested as he found the unicorn's laws limiting trade between duchies stupid, as it only benefitted them by holding monopolies over all necessary goods.
"We must begin talks of enlarging our army, for the enemies at our borders will not stand by patiently." A radical argued, garnering nods from all sides.
"Aye, but matters of education must be sought, for armies cannot attack without letters." A reactionary emphasised, which made every side nod as well.
"...What of the internal threats?" An approaching voice called out; its hoofsteps now audible in the silence.
"...Forest?" Green gaped, not expecting the war hero's presence in the senate. "...Why are you here?"
"Can't a fellow hero immerse himself into politics?" Forest grinned, taking his place in the middle of the senate; for all to see.
"What is he doing..? I thought he was still in mourning..." Green pondered, as Jaco's death had seemed to have broken Forest.
Forest cleared his throat, and began to speak; "...Ever since our 'victory', I had blamed myself continuously that Jaco's death was solely on my hooves..." Forest emphasised 'victory', as if it wasn't complete; "I kept wondering what I could've done better... What I could've prevented... Of what I could've changed..." Forest began to choke with tears; grasping his chest whilst dropping his head.
"But... I realised something..." Forest raised his head with a new expression; an expression screaming out hatred.
The Senate seemed to cool down, as everything around Forest suddenly became colder after every hate-filled word.
"-I realised my hatred should not be aimed towards myself! But towards our enemies! The Pegasuses! The Unicorns! And the puddinghead's cronies!" Forest hollered, causing the senate to explode into cheers and applaud. "The Equestrian experiment has failed! And so the earth ponies shall rise! LONG LIVE THE JACOBINS!" Forest boomed; causing the senate to also erupt in cheers for the Jacobins. Green began sweating profusely.
"STOP!" Green yelled, stopping the cheers. Forest looked on with a glare. "Have we all forgotten the message from Copper?! By oppressing them, we will be just as bad as them! If not worse!" Green professed; as doing the same thing which they knew caused immense pain to others would be incredibly inconsiderate and ignorant. "The only just course of action would be to live on with harmony from now on."
Forest scoffed, "Live in harmony?! You wish to make peace with those who had just whipped you?" Forest snarled, "You wish to ignore their crimes and indifference to our starvation and death?!" Forest stomped, however, he could feel the senate beginning to mumble in disagreement.
"An eye for an eye! A hoof for a hoof! A life for a life!" A radical added; siding with Forest in the issue.
"An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind," Green automatically replied, remembering a quote from Harold's book about a griffon who futilely attempted to stop the bloodshed before the warlord era had occurred. Green feared that he would share the same fate.
The moderates and reactionaries nodded and hummed at Green's quote, whilst the reactionaries were stunned by Green's wisdom, as it was unnatural for his age. Forest blinked blankly.
"I agree with Green and in extension to elder Copper as well; that we should not take to murder, but towards justice." A moderate concurred; wishing to stop the bloodshed.
"A lenient punishment to not leave them spiteful, so we can all prosper into a harmonious future." A reactionary emphasised, making a few moderates shake their heads in disagreement.
"Have you all gone mad?! They will never forgive us! So we must strike them now! Before it's too late!" A radical ranted, implicating genocide.
"For every second we waste here, the more time we give to the unicorns and pegasuses to prepare to squash us!" Forest threatened; wishing to wage war against the unicorns immediately.
"...They'll have to forgive us..." Green blankly muttered; not knowing how nopony had realised this crucial information.
"Why will they forgive us?" A reactionary asked; confused at Green's stupor.
"...We own all the food dumbflank..." Green deadpanned, making everypony 'O' in realisation. "If they are our enemy, we won't give them food like what we are doing now." Green shrugged, as the moderates and reactionaries nodded in agreement.
"But they will gather their forces and attack us with the food we gave them!" Forest growled; quickly breaking out of his realisation, which made the radicals break out as well.
"It's 'may not 'will' general." A moderate corrected; thinking a unicorn uprising was unlikely due to their limited movement and small population.
Forest continued to growl until he finally made up his mind, "For everypony that foresees the unicorn's threat! Raise your hooves!" Ever hoof on the radical side raised their hooves, with one moderate deciding to trust Forest's decisions.
"For those for peace and a cease to bloodshed, raise your hooves!" Green countered, which made everypony in the reactionaries and moderate side raise their hooves immediately to oppose the radical's pressure.
The two sides glared at each other; eyeing each other down to prepare for a fight. But Forest was the one to diffuse the tension instead of Green.
"The Senate is adjourned. But remember this everypony," Forest warned; leaning towards his opposition. "Nopony is coming to help you when the unicorns decide soon to execute you." Forest turned around and began to walk away. The radicals followed.
"Senate adjourned." Green weakly muttered, staring blankly as the radicals and Forest left without having solved all of their issues. "Is this how democracies fail?" Green asked nopony in particular, remembering a passage from Harold's book which warned against democracies but favoured a centralised, authoritarian government in its 'stead.
"Maybe I should paint this scene?" Green thought lazily; believing this small conflict would be significant later on.
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10847678 Simple. Make him question things a bit more, or, at the very least, provide an explanation for his rapid acceptance of things.
this will be interesting
Earth Pony Napoleon? I kinda wanna see that now.
Well now, wasn't that darling for a chapter!
Politics! Racism! A distinct lack of Germans in this Germany themed fic!
Ah, all the key parts of an Ironverse(?) Chapter and much more.
The true question to ask is as to the fate of the Republic, is this how democracy shall die, will Green reorganise the Republic into the first Terraquestrian empire?
In all serious though:
Is it to be Haitian, and end in dictatorship? Is it to be American, and become corporate wet dream? Will this go the way of good-old British Parliamentarianism? Or will it become the beautiful French mess we all love to hate? Who knows. I'm voting on Irish republicanism.
They gained most of what they have now, because of the books that the Griffins gave them. I'm guessing that when the Empire makes contact with Equestria, the Earth ponies will remember exactly where they gained the keys to most of their success and will continue to draw from the Griffins advice.
Basically, I predict that the Emperors will swoop in and fix everything, as has been a continuing theme of this fanfic. And before you criticise me on realism, I remind you that this fanfic has already explicitly given a big, fat middle finger to realisim.
Earth Pony Serfdom is effectively dead with the revolution and the standing Jacobin army.
Maybe it's time to end the old system of appropriations, where officials take a portion (usually the majority) of the harvest from the villagers that grow the food, and implement a market economy where the villagers (mostly Earth Ponies) sell their harvest in exchange for services (regular watering by Pegasi) or in the form of currency.
The Pegasi and Unicorns will get their food, but they'll have to pay for it with prices set by the farmers influenced by supply and demand.
Edit:
10848486
Since the Jacobins are meant to represent revolutionary France, this could definitely get messy.
That being said, there is the delegation coming from Germany where the two Emperors are keen on establishing relations and maybe even a buffer state.
The Germans would definitely be able to influence the movement to a less radical, leaning more towards the moderates and conservatives.
The Jacobin military and their society as a whole have been influenced by German militarism and the founding members of the Jacobins were protected by Germans in the movement's infancy.
Bismark would also hate to see a repeat of the Napoleonic Wars and have reason to prevent the Jacobins from descending into a Reign of Terror.
10848422
Vicky 3 2022
10848435
Sounds interesting
10848486
Whatttttt??? Nooo, that's not going to happen.
*FRANTICALLY CHANGES STORY*
10848496
Off with his head!
10848431
Green was only 12 when he took over Equestria.
"Maybe YOU should move out of your parent's basement and do something."
10848424
Kinda did at the start, where it's implied that everyone just tries to survive. I mean it's pretty much normal life for them for weird things to happen, like when a routing army decides to shelter in their lands or join them, or when a different warlord decides to take over your land until they die and another one takes over, changing all the rules and causing famine or massacre due to mismanagement of resources or troops.
10848536
Stop judging me.. Stop.
But will there be a earth pony Napoleon?
10848496
As much as I hate to say it, especially with how much he contributed to the earth ponies freedom, but Forest needs to go. With how influential and radical he is, he could easily be ome the next Robespierre. I can easily see a situation where he attempts to overthrow Green and the moderates requiring the Griffins to interven. As coldhearted as it is to say, Forest either needs to see reason or die. He's too unstable and powerful to be allowed to live.
10848669
He's pretty much is the Robespierre of the Jacobins.
The Jacobins (seriously, these people need a name for their nation) are in that post revolution stage where the winners of the revolution fall descend into infighting and political deadlock that will make or break their new nation.
The Jacobins need to create and formalize a government that isn't just the same revolutionary leaders themselves arguing until they want to kill each other, but I do wonder what form of government would work best for the Jacobins Earth Ponies. Maybe the Germans can help them with this.
The Jacobins were founded on principles taken from German militarism and their army consisting of farmer-soldiers is the backbone of their entire movement, but a military state that sacrifices everything for the sake of the military is what made the Jacobins hate Hurricane's Pegasi in the first place.
Complete democracy is proving the be unstable and the lack of leadership with the death of Jacobin himself has the Jacobins in a precarious situation, (maybe with the influence of the Germans) the Jacobins could crown their own monarch.
However, a large part of the Jacobin cause is directed against the excesses and abuse of the Unicorn King, his daughter Platinum, and the unicorn nobility. Placing too much power in the hands of a single Earth Pony is also what allowed Chancellor Puddinghead to sell out her people in the first place.
This isn't an easy fix (well, unless the author makes a decision and implements it but you know what I mean).
I actually have 9 chapters lined up, and you guys are literally predicting everything I have written down
...Am I... That predictable..?
*Frantically changes story*
10848632
Sorry. Was just referencing oversimplified
10848592
the western griffon tribes are just an excuse to introduce Grover and commit economic racism like how ulster Irish treated southern Irish peopleNo, Bismarck and Mauser have no idea the western griffon tribes exist. It will be awkward when they accept the 'eastern' griffons who totally did they migrate from the west into their colonies.
10848723
Do the Germans know about the existence of Hippogriffs?
I don't think it was ever established in the show or comics whether Hippogriffs are their own species or if it's like western (Italian) mythology where they were originally a mixed breed between a Griffon and a Pony.
If it's the former, then they're another primitive people that the Germans need to make plans about.
If it's the later, then that would raise questions like whether Griffon-Pony interspecies relationships are legal (miscegenation laws) or if Hippogriffs born to a Griffon and a Pony can be German citizens.
10848717
I know. I love that guy. And that’s how I would respond in my head lol.
I can already see a few scenarios that would happen to the future of Equestria and Jacobins
for the Jacobins I think they will go through their own Robespierre/ reign of terror events in their new nation and that forest will either usurp the council or take it by force with his radial factions and those who support them in the common folk, either killing or imprisoning's those who oppose the ideals of the "Jacobins revolution" and might be taking to the idea of attacking what is left of Equestria under the pre-tense of spreading the revolution and as well punishing the unicorns, pegasi and remaining earth pony elite with sooner or later forest kicking the bucket with doing a classic Robespierre move and having him executed with moderates soon stripping the radicals power and being back in charge. or Green being a bit tired of the arguing some time soon might be taking a Napoleon route with Men who have fought alongside with supporting their leader and proclaiming him some first consul title and trying a dictator route to at least get policies or issues solved quicker , he still has the book and might have some knowledge about economy, domestic policies and other things to run a nation.
worst case scenario for the Jacobins is a Civil war and similar to America during their civil war it will be something that both sides have differing opinions, basically for the earth ponies do they end equestria right there and now and punish all Unicorns and Pegasi or Don't and try to enlighten them, this type of war devastating their nation taking years to recover. best possible case scenario for the Jacobins to stabilize their newly formed nations is either by some miracle that they all agree to put away their differences and work to better their nations and just spread the revolution helping all ponies to their nations ideal leaving aside their petty grudges and ideologies or the Germans coming in and the senate will secede all their power to Bismarck and Paul when they arrive and hope to whatever they got in their heads could both fix the problems plaguing them and as well making sure the nations doesn't fall to anarchy depending on how well the meeting will go.
for equestria however, their future is more bleak, already their is discontent and they are already barely trying to keep their borders safe and recover after hurricane's failed counter-revolutionary attack againt's the Jacobins draining much of equestria of capable warriors that could have been used to defend them but now they are relying on inexperienced and possibly scared recruits. equestria could go the route of either Yugoslavia or soviet union breakaway, one push right now could break the nation and destroy and completely make the idea of equestria into a memory that most people would be happy to get rid off and already from forest stating that equestria was an experiment like America with being a republic only equestria already failed its goals.
right now it could only survive for a few scenarios i think would happen, Starswirl, if he did fail the meeting would already know the course of action he needs to take, he doesn't like it but he might stage a coup with allies loyal to him like the church they might overthrow princess platinum and might established a sort of theatrocracy or emergency military counsel with some support with the close aids like pansy, clover and smart cookie, all desperate for change and might take to starswirl coup and for a few years trying to fix equestria before either making their power permanent or establishing some civilian government that they feel wont screw all of them and tear down all their efforts. another scenario is that equestria will break and instead become independent states vying for power like those of the Holy roman empire and have the powder keg scenario similar to WW1 Balkan nations local conflicts becoming larger creating a WW1 in the equestrian continent. the last and two possible scenario that might save equestria which are basically a early longshot and serving a new master,the longshot scenario which will be called the alicorn unity scenario is basically somehow the author explains later in the book on how Celestia and Luna basically ascends and becomes alicorns and they use their magic McGuffins that they have and read the same book little and green used to copy and emulate Bismarck and Paul German empire and establishing diplomatic channels to help repair equestria and possibly reintegrate former Jacobins lands and remake the equestrian experiment and make a equestrian dream similar to the American dream and embark similar actions that the German empire has taken to unite its own people except more peaceful and more applicable to ponies. the last scenario being serving a new master which will be called the German vassal scenario which like the Jacobins the Nobles and platinum will relinquish their power( a possibility might be possible after seeing German superiority and technology) to Bismarck and Paul and they will fix everything that equestria has been plagued with and serve under the Germans similar to a colony or vassal.
basically, the future of both countries are very unstable and right now any actions whether small or big that are aggressive will plunge the entire continent in some war and right now they need stability and either they solve their own problems and make up, Celestia and Luna ascending and fixing it themselves, or being taken over by the Germans and having them fix it. Equestria and the Jacobins needs to figure out what is their new relationship, their relationship with the Germans and rebuild without their nations falling to new rebellions with radical or counter revolutionary ideals. their faith is of either independence and stability, servitude to a new master or Anarchy.
10848761
I'll probably figure it out after rebooting my brain. But for now, I'm just going to play Russia in Vicky 2 for the millionth time and kill my entire population through killing rebel deathstacks until Tannu Tuva is my most populace state.
10849064
Only one landmass. It stretches through the entire planet or something... I dunno, Equis in the show looks like a flat planet.
10849040
I sure did
10849002
You like how the polar bears don't exist? Or how the crystal ponies took them over?
10848854
Calm your brain down, I'm tryna keep the plot a sectet
10849266
Sorry about that I was just thinking out loud about what I think about might happen in eqestria and Jacobins future, I didn't mean if I might spoil something you were planning to write.
10849348
How big is this super continent like in square miles because for all we know equstria is as big as America or as small as Oklahoma
10849847
From what I have seen? The main continent (the one shown in the past, is a bit outdated) is just a bit smaller than Pangea.
The dangers of revolution, falling in to revanchism , fear and the things you fight to destroy in the first place